Potter, Padfoot, and Pizza
by petals-to-fish
Summary: Padfoot has run away from his owner and Lily takes it upon herself to find his home. This in turn causes Lily to run into a certain bespectacled uni student who swears the big black dog is his. (Jily Muggle AU)


**This was written in late 2014 after one of my original stories didn't go anywhere but I liked this part so much I kept it for Jily.**

 **Enjoy!**

 **xxx**

 **Petals**

* * *

Lily Evans had spent half the day at the park trying to study her uni notes but no matter how hard she tried, she got distracted. It was the start of term and she was already dreading it. That couldn't be healthy.

It was autumn so the leaves were all brilliant colours. Lily marveled at every single pretty red, gold, or orange leaf that drifted from the branches that she sat under. Lily stopped studying to grab a coffee down the street from a local cafe. Lily drew in the margins of her notes: stars and swirls mixing into her small handwriting. Lily even sat for an hour on her stomach, building leaf houses with leaves and sticks.

Quite frankly, she wasn't really studying.

Leaning back onto her elbows she spotted a large black dog wandering around the park. It looked well taken care of and Lily imagined the dog belonged to the couple sitting at a park bench at the end of the park. The black dog was having a grande old time.

Lily watched with a smile creeping onto her face as the dog bounded after small mammals, birds, and drank from the small pond not to far from where she sat. It was running around gaily, like it had not a care in the world. Lily giggled when it started smelling the leaves and rolling in them.

Lily went back to her notes, highlighting a few words and glancing back up. The couple had left the park but they hadn't taken the dog. A few lines of worry crossed Lily's brow. The large black dog was now panting not far from where Lily sat under the trees. It was looking around the park jovially–not seeming bothered that the couple had left.

"Odd." Lily murmured, standing up and adjusting her jumper.

The dog saw her moving and it's ears perked up, eyes frozen on Lily's cautiously moving form.

"Hello," Lily called warmly to the animal.

The dog tilted it's head.

"Who do you belong to?" Lily asked it, grinning and holding out her fingers for the dog to sniff as she approached slowly.

The dog sniffed her fingers lazily before flopping onto it's back and wagging it's tail. Lily chuckled and got onto her knees to rub the dog's stomach. Once she had gained the trust of the animal she quickly reached up to grab a silver and black collar hanging around it's neck.

The silver name tag was in the shape of a star and it said the animal was called Padfoot. Lily felt her lips quirk up. What an odd name for an animal.

"Padfoot."

The dog grumbled happily from beneath her hands. Padfoot then began licking her face gratefully and she laughed, pushing the dog from her lap. Padfoot didn't take well to that and put his paws on her shoulders, lapping her entire face enthusiastically.

"Oi!" a voice shouted irritably from somewhere behind them.

Padfoot dropped from Lily's body like he'd been shot. Lily stood up and whirled around in accusation at the yelling person. Padfoot slunk behind Lily's heels to hide form the approaching man. Lily noted the man was about her age and he had on a hoodie from the same Uni she went to. Lily reached back to touch Padfoot's head in support as the man came over to them, red in the face.

"Come here!" the man swept around Lily to try and grab the dog roughly.

Lily grabbed the man's hand before he could grab Padfoot, "Excuse you!"

The man actually glanced up at her with an annoyed face and then he actually looked at her. They stared at each other a few moments and Lily saw he had a kind face–despite his yelling. She admired his hazel eyes behind thick rimmed glasses and noted his bag that was slung over his shoulder was slightly open showing english books.

"Hello." the black haired man muttered, hand shooing right up to his already messy hair, "Thanks for finding my dog–he's a bloody–anyways I'll just–" the boy tried to grab the dog again but Lily blocked him and crossed her arms.

"How do I know this is your dog?" she mused thoughtfully.

The boy scratched his head, "Er…his name is Padfoot and he's my dog?"

"How do I know you aren't trying to steal him?" Lily asked, "The dog has been here all afternoon. You could've read his tag. How do I know _you_ own him? How did you not notice your dog was missing?"

A flash of annoyance crossed the face of the man, "Well, yeah, that'd be because the git managed to open the locks on my front door when I was at class. Decided to take himself for a walk." Hazel eyes glared down at the dog who was slinking out of reach behind Lily's protection.

Lily stood her ground, "Until I see identification, I won't let you take him anywhere."

Instead of placing accusing eyes on Lily the boy glared at the dog and muttered, "You planned this somehow you _rotten_ git."

Padfoot wagged his tail. Lily grabbed Padfoot's collar and started dragging the dog towards her notes and books. The man didn't even bother following her.

"I'll see you later then?" he called after her as Lily picked up her things and fed Padfoot some of her biscuit from earlier that day.

Lily stared at the boy incredulously, "What makes you say that?"

The man snorted, "because _that's_ my dog and I'm going to need him back."

"Right." Lily answered doubtfully, patting her side, "Come along Padfoot."

The dog happily trotted after Lily and they left the black haired man standing alone in the middle of the park. Lily saw out of the corner of her eye when the man raised his hands to his hair again–pulling at the roots.

"Traitor!" the man shouted after Padfoot who trotted alongside Lily, quite content, "You're sleeping outside for the _rest of your life_ mutt!"

Lily sent the man a glare before dragging Padfoot along home with her. Lily passed the Pet Store on the way home and grabbed a leash and some food for the happy dog. The man at the Pet Store supplied Lily with the address to the pet shelter where she could get fliers to find Padfoot's real family.

it took Lily two days to get the fliers up and meanwhile, Padfoot remained happily at her flat. They went for walks every morning and every night. Lily took the dog with her everywhere because she was enjoying the company. Lily had always wanted a dog but she could never get any with her previous flat mates. Now that she lived alone it was nice to have a friend to sit and watch telly with.

On their third night together, Lily and Padfoot were bonding over pizza and ice cream on the couch when the doorbell rang. Giving Padfoot the crust to her pizza, Lily stood up and brushed back her red hair in surprise. It was later in the afternoon and she had been planning to just hang out with the dog. She didn't recall any of her mates offering to drop by.

Momentarily Lily wondered if Padfoot's owners had seen the flier. Opening her thick oak door a piece of paper was thrust into her face. Befuddled, Lily backed out of the doorway and a voice called cheerily.

"Hello, again."

Lily stared. it was the man from the park and he was wearing a button down shirt with his slacks. He looked older and more mature now as he waved a piece of paper in front of her face. The smile on his face was mischievous and his hazel eyes twinkled triumphantly.

"What are you doing here?" Lily demanded, glancing back behind her to make sure Padfoot was out of sight.

"Getting my dog." the man replied irritably, "Would you read the paper?"

Lily snatched the paper he kept waving in her face and read that it was an certification to a _Mr. James Eugene Potter_ from a breeder for a dog called–

"Padfoot." the words on her tongue were sheepish and she looked up at the man, James Potter, hesitantly, " _Oh_."

James potter crossed his arms over his chest and the grin of satisfaction was clear on his smug face, "So my dog, yeah?"

Embarrassed, Lily opened her door up wider and allowed the male to step into her hallway. James walked swiftly into her flat, looking around the the pictures and stopping at a particular one of Lily and her mate Mary at uni together.

"You know Mary McDonald?" he looked at her in surprise, "I play football with her."

Lily closed her front door and eyed the boy in surprise, "I've never seen you at matches."

"Likewise." he replied smoothly, but his hazel eyes were regarding her rather intensely behind his glasses.

"Er, so, your dog." Lily motioned him to come into the flat more, "I hope you don't mind but I've kind of been spoiling him–"

As she guided James into the room where she and Padfoot had been eating pizza and ice cream together a grin spread across James' face. Padfoot looked up from the couch where he had been finishing off another piece of pizza from the box Lily had left on the table. James turned back to Lily who was red in the face.

"Pizza and ice cream?"

"I _know_ , I'm _so_ sorry but I was–"

"At least not on a school night."

Lily stopped all her apologies and stared at James in shock at the words that had come out his mouth. James was grinning at her like he'd never even been mad that she took Padfoot from him in the first place. James shook his head like he was disappointed but his smile was still wide.

"Come on Evans, how am I going to get him home now?"

"I don't–" then she paused, "How did you know my name?"

James raised a suggestive eyebrow, "You _did_ put out posters with your name printed on them."

Lily had no comeback. Where had this boy come from? More importantly Lily didn't like the way he kept making her blush with a simple smirk in her general direction. Lily watched as James took to the couch to hook a leash around Padfoot's collar. Enticing the big black dog with Pizza, James lured the Padfoot off the couch and back over to Lily.

"I'm happy he's got a family." Lily muttered, looking away from James, feeling butterflies in her stomach when his hand touched her shoulder.

"Thanks for caring for him." Lily glanced up at his soft tone and when their eyes connected his wicked smirk returned, "A bloke like me can certainly appreciate a girl who takes better care of his dog than he ever could."

Lily smiled and showed James to the door, leaning against the frame as he lured Padfoot outside into the cool autumn weather. Lily watched James take the dog away and sighed deeply. The flat already felt empty with Padfoot gone and Lily found herself _trying_ to memorize the exact shape of the smirk on James' face.

She was just considering texting Mary and asking her for football match times when the phone in her pocket vibrated.

 **(029) 3214 7856:** _Same time next week? I'll bring the dog and pizza if you provide ur favorite ice cream xJP_

A smile retraced it's way back across her features and she instantly started typing back a message.

 **Lily Evans:** _How'd you get my number?_

 **James Potter:** _The same way I got your name_

 **Lily Evans:** _Clever. Do you like chocolate or vanilla?_

 **James Potter:** _Both_

 **James Potter:** _BTW my football games are tuesdays and thursdays 6PM_

Lily felt warmth flooding her every pore as she closed her front door and leaned against the oak, smiling down at her screen.

Perhaps this term wouldn't be as dreadful as she originally anticipated.


End file.
